Gone are the days when organic cotton meant hippy dippy. There are A LOT of folks using organic cotton for their baby clothes these days. So a parent can be discerning.
Astrotot now makes an organic line of baby clothes and kids t-shirts with a sense of humor. According to the press release for the new organic baby gear,
Astrotot prides itself on providing uniquely funny, insightful and expressive infant and toddler gift wear while supporting sustainable cotton farming practices and ecologically responsible printing methods....All designs are printed in-house using a revolutionary eco-friendly digital printing process and packaged in distinctive gift boxes made of recycled cardboard.
We haven't seen the shirts in-person, but on the website they look to be high quality. And "I Have a Wedgie" and "Fo'Shizzle" are pretty darn funny.
Be sure to select from the organic line, if that's what you're after; other shirts are sweat-shop-free American Apparel, but not organic.
Now through December 15th, Astrotot is offering free shipping on orders over $40.
We blogged about Arabella Miller's fun graphic kids t-shirts last month. As you'll recall, they're so organic (cotton, ink, etc.) that they're soil-certified. And, just as importantly, they're (almost) as cute as the sweet little muffin you're going to put in them. At the time, we lamented that they were only available in the U.K. Well, it's a global world. Yippee!
We especially like the new long-sleeve t-shirts, pictured here, which have a cool, retro baseball shirt look. Nice.
Shipping to the U.S. costs seven pounds. Not a bad deal when you consider that overnight domestic FedEx is about the same.
An LED flashlight. Everybody needs one -- for emergencies, camping, your car. Shake for 60 seconds and get 30 minutes of light.
For Her Maine Warmers heating or cooling animals. Like a hot water bottle you can snuggle. All natural, filled with corn. Microwave for three minutes and your toes (or back, or bed) will be nice and snuggly warm for hours.
Solar Charger. Not just for guys. This solar charge comes in hot pink. Better still, you can use it to charge your cell phone, your GPS, your iPod, or your digital camera.
Alice Water's new book, The Art of Simple Food. A beautiful book, providing real insight into how the Chez Panisse chef thinks about food.
Looking for a stylish, earth-friendly way to carry your groceries? Need to supplement your EZ Bags with something that goes over your shoulder? Want a creative, green way to wrap your holiday gifts?
Called the "It bag of the future" by Teen Vogue, this stylish and ridiculously practical bag (sold in packages of 3 and 6) is one easy step in helping save the planet. Baggu ("bag" in Japanese) is machine washable, and folds up into its own pouch small enough to tuck into your handbag or pocket. Made of super-tough ripstop nylon in bright, fun colors, it's the re-usable bag that's eco-chic.
We're big fans of Blirt's wordplay designs - available in t-shirts and longsleeve t's - designed to introduce kids to the playfulness of the English language. (Check out our Blirt t-shirt review from last May.)
And, we like it that Blirt shirts are made of 100% organic cotton, using non-toxic dyes and are water-base silk-screened (a more environmentally friendly process). According to Tracy, the decision to go organic wasn't part of the original business plan until Blirt ran into some delays sourcing the shirts:
During the delays, we learned about conventional cotton farming and were dismayed to find that it is actually one of agriculture’s most environmentally destructive activities. So the decision to go organic was really a no-brainer.
We're glad to hear it, and glad to hear that that Barneys will be carrying Blirt's kids shirts and pants. Sounds like there's a market for "organic without the crunch" baby wear. Hallelujah!
The site features a video of party planner Traci Phillips talking about how she planned a green baby shower for Sheryl Crow's son Wyatt. Among the tips:
- Use local foods
- Avoid paper products or use recycled, recyclable tableware
- Wrap presents in reusable grocery bags or cloth diapers tied with a bow
- Have guests sign an organic baby t-shirt instead of a guestbook
Get more tips and check out the video at Wee Generation.
The World Wildlife Federation (WWF) is concerned about climate change. And they should be -- global warming from greenhouse gas emissions is the single largest threat to our environment today.
This would make a gift for that "Hotter than I Should Be" animal lover on your list. You can let them know you've noticed, and that you care about the planet.
We got a long-sleeve tee with a design based on the expression "Fish Out of Water." The clothes come wrapped in neat brown paper bag packaging with a rope cord and the Blirt logo -- kind of like the kind used for whole coffee beans, but way hipper. The shirt is super-soft cotton, with the "Fish Out of Water" graphic and the expression written out on a stitched label underneath. It comes with a little booklet explaining the meaning of figure of speech.
As we mentioned, this is a shirt you'll feel great wrapped your baby in and snuggling up to. The cotton feels great against your skin and Blirt's non-toxic dyeing and screening process ensures that the only thing touching your baby or toddler's skin is soft organic fabric.
Maybe partly because of the dyeing process, the shirts come in a more natural range of colors than your typical baby gear. "Fish Out of Water" is olive green with baby blue design; other shirts in the collection are brown, light blue, granite - hip, natural colors for hip, natural kids.
As we mentioned in our earlier Blirt post, the shirts are made of 100% organic cotton, using fair trade labor practices. So you can feel good about your purchase while your kid looks good. Super cute, and a nice gift for eco-conscious parents-to-be. As an added bonus, shipping is free!
Blirt Shirt - Organic Cotton Baby T-Shirts with a Message
Kathleen Tracy just sent in an email about her fledgling t-shirt company, Blirt . Her concept is to introduce infants and toddlers to wordplay, taking English-language figures of speech - e.g. "bull in a china shop" or "good egg" - and illustrating them with fun, lighthearted designs. Talk about a fashion statement.
But Blirt's statements don't end there. They're also concerned with the environment and fair trade manufacturing processes. The company's website includes an environmental and fair trade mission statement that lays out the costs of unsustainable, un-fair manufacturing processes, and then explains how Blirt makes sure its processes are eco-friendly, fair and just.
Made of 100% Certified Organic Egyptian Cotton and metal-free dyes, he's a perfect gift for babies. Plus, he's machine washable, and the more you wash him, the softer he gets.
At $12, he's also a steal.
Buy a Sckoon Organics Cotton Happy Lion for the expectant mom on your shopping list. Or buy one for yourself and you'll be happy, too.